"I only run if someone is chasing me"

I heard this on a tv show one time and it cracked me up - it's exactly how I feel about running. However, I have a great new co-worker who just had a baby 5 months ago and is in the best shape of her adult life. She owes it all to running.

I'm 24, I have good genes (thanks mom & dad!), why can't I run too? Why do I have to be stuck in this "she's tall and has a thin body type but she's not quite thin" limbo?

So, I've talked with my co-worker and she's motivated me to start thinking about running (I'm not going to commit 100% right now because I don't want to disappoint myself when I hit snooze in the morning a million times when I should be getting up to walk/run).

I found a great site that helps beginners. Clicky for much more info, but here is a little sneak peak:

Walk and Run Plan
If you are a true beginner, and cannot run for 10 minutes, you should start out with a walk/run plan. Here’s a good one to start with (do each one three times a week):

1. Week 1: Walk for 10 minutes. Jog slowly for 1 minute, and then walk for 1 minute. Repeat these 1/1 intervals for 10 minutes, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.
2. Week 2: Walk for 10 minutes. Jog slowly for 2 minutes, and then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat these 2/2 intervals for 10 minutes, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.
3. Week 3: Walk for 10 minutes. Jog slowly for 3 minutes, and then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat these 3/2 intervals for 15 minutes, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.
4. Week 4: Walk for 10 minutes. Jog slowly for 5 minutes, and then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat these 5/2 intervals for 20 minutes, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.

You get the picture. The idea is to gradually increase your running time until you can do 10 minutes straight. Then increase the 10 minutes to 12, and so on, each week, until you can eventually run for 30 minutes. Now you’re a runner!

So - who's with me??